parable
Story with meaning
A parable is a short story that illustrates a moral or spiritual lesson.
The term is especially associated with the teachings of Jesus—the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the Sower.
Unlike fables, parables typically involve realistic human situations rather than talking animals.
The word sometimes describes any story with an obvious moral: The film is a parable about greed.
Moral tale with animals
- taleSpoken or written narrative
- storyAccount of events
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
- mythTraditional explanatory tale
folklore · anecdote · Aesop · apologue · exemplum · moral tale · teaching story · cautionary tale
Religious discourse on scripture
- sermonClergy's worship address
- aphorismTerse general truth
- maximBrief moral principle
- proverbTraditional saying expressing truth
adage · illustration · analogy · persuasion · oration · pulpit · preaching · exhortation
Christian faith's divine son
- GospelChristian salvation teaching
- Good SamaritanCompassionate stranger from scripture
- sowerOne who plants seeds
- mustard seedSmall pungent spice grain
lost sheep · talents · wedding feast · two sons · fig tree · hidden treasure · Kingdom of Heaven · Sermon on the Mount
Unit of teaching
- ethicsStudy of right conduct
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- principleFundamental truth or standard
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
teaching point · moral truth · precept · doctrine · consequence · wisdom · discernment · right conduct
Guidance for action
- teachingProfession of instructing others
- lessonUnit of teaching
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
- insightDeep perceptive understanding
understanding · pedagogy · didactic · mentorship · student · rabbi · teacher · disciple
Implied identity comparison
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- figurativeRepresenting through imagery
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
- allegorySymbolic tale with deeper meaning
emblematic · illustrative · allusion · representation · hidden meaning · layered meaning · extended metaphor · spiritual meaning
fable
Moral tale with animals
myth · folklore · anecdote · Aesop · apologue · exemplum · moral tale · teaching story · cautionary tale · folk tale
homily
Religious discourse on scripture
proverb · adage · illustration · analogy · persuasion · oration · pulpit · preaching · exhortation · moral instruction
Jesus
Christian faith's divine son
- GospelChristian salvation teaching
- Good SamaritanCompassionate stranger from scripture
- sowerOne who plants seeds
mustard seed · lost sheep · talents · wedding feast · two sons · fig tree · hidden treasure · Kingdom of Heaven · Sermon on the Mount
lesson
Unit of teaching
righteousness · teaching point · moral truth · precept · doctrine · consequence · wisdom · discernment · right conduct · spiritual truth
instruction
Guidance for action
- teachingProfession of instructing others
- lessonUnit of teaching
- enlightenmentProfound spiritual awakening
insight · understanding · pedagogy · didactic · mentorship · student · rabbi · teacher · disciple · listener
metaphor
Implied identity comparison
- symbolismRepresenting concepts through images
- figurativeRepresenting through imagery
- analogyExplanatory likeness between things
allegory · emblematic · illustrative · allusion · representation · hidden meaning · layered meaning · extended metaphor · spiritual meaning · typology
- folklorefairy tales, fairytales, folktales, folk tales, folk tale
- moral talesfable, moral stories, allegory, moral fables, moral fable
- allegoriesallegory, fable, Animal Farm, Pilgrim's Progress, Everyman
- ancient wisdomVedas, proverb, Upanishads, maxim, Epicureanism
- Bible elementspsalm, epistle, proverb, commandment, gospel
- Christian booksBible, devotional, prayer book, study Bible, hymnal
parablenonfiction
Literature about real events
history · chronicle · documentary · historical record · true story
parableentertainment
Agreeable diversion of attention
escapist fiction · shaggy dog story · diversion · amusement · tall tale
- parabolic mirrorCurved reflector concentrating light
- parables of JesusIllustrative stories from scripture
- parabolic reflectorCurved surface focusing signals
- biblical parablesInstructive religious narratives
- parable of the prodigal sonStory of forgiven squanderer
- Jesus' parablesAllegorical teachings from scripture